General Discussion (Model Railroader)

Just got a reply from Loblaw's / President's Choice. Thought I would pass on the news. Bummer.

Dear Mr. Elms,

   Thank you for contacting us concerning our PC Train Sets. It was kind of you to take the time to email and we apologize for the delay in responding.

   Unfortunately, there will be no train set released this year. However,there will be a special Anniversary Edition Train released next year. (The next train set will be coming out during the Holiday Season of 2008.)

   We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your interest. Mr. Elms, we value your feedback. Please contact us in the future with any other questions or comments.

Regards,

Customer Relations

I went on their site this morning to see what gives, but saw no reference to a Christmas series of toys or gifts.  So, your news is not unexpected, but disappointing none-the-less.

Maybe we can look forward to something truly special next year.

Thanks for the update.

-Crandell

 This does not sound promising for next year either.

Can you imagine how they will totally twist up the looks of an anniversary set. I am picturing something really ugly, extremely unprototypical, and loaded with advertising schemes. I'm an N Scale modeller and just a collector of these H.O. sets.

I hope they never consider sets in N Scale.We've got our own problems with the MTL 'soda pops of the world' and such series'.

Doesn't surprise me in the least. Think about it all of the sets are MEhano Loco's and Mehano hasn't released anything new this year so it stands to reason we weren't going to get a new loco.

Oh well I still have a 2-10-2 from last year who knows a 2-10-4...

Fergie 

Look at the bright side -- with your mighty Can. Dollar, you should get a good deal from Target or whomever.  (I wish Menard's did mail orders -- they don't, do they?)

1train1 wrote:

This does not sound promising for next year either. Can you imagine how they will totally twist up the looks of an anniversary set. I am picturing something really ugly, extremely unprototypical, and loaded with advertising schemes. I'm an N Scale modeller and just a collector of these H.O. sets. I hope they never consider sets in N Scale.We've got our own problems with the MTL 'soda pops of the world' and such series'.

I remember the mini-chefs version from a couple of years back, it was pretty ugly but the loco looked good.

tatans:  Last years set seemed to be a pretty good one (IHC loco) for what you got from the feedback here.  It sold very well too.

Maybe Canadian Railway Modeler can do a follow up on this and print an article (sort out of the scope of MR I would think), they have commented on the past PC sets and noted that some have not sold well.

Also, the company that owns PC and its affiliates (Extra Foods, Real Canadian, etc) is in some financial problems and has been busy re-structuring and re-focusing on key area, so again this is not surprising.

tatans wrote:

Hey folks, these train sets seem to be along the lines of $35.00 starter train sets in a box sold at toy stores that last about 15 minutes with rough use, how close to prototype are these sets???   remember, you are buying a complete train set at a FOOD store, does that tell you something???  Try picking up bread and milk at your LHS.

These sets have been made by Mehano in Czechkoslovakia, the same firm that makes IHC locos.  Not the top end models, but quite far from the really cheap train set ones.  Locos have been cosmetically decorated and detailed in Canadian railway colors, and while a fair distance from the prototype, aren't all that bad. 

The sets sold in Canada for $99.00; the similar IHC locos alone were offered for around US$135.00, so the sets were a decent deal.  The cars are train set quality,with truck mounted horn hook couplers, and mostly disposable.  Same for the tiny power pack and the track.  Up to last year's set, the track was an oval of brass, changed to nickle sliver in the 200 set.   12 pieces of snap track, not too bad if you could use it, I usually offered mine for sale at local shows.

I picked up the 2-10-2 last November.

Then after Christmas I found the 4-6-4 Hudson set from the 2005 Holiday season on sale for $49.99. I bought 2. Quite a steal, I thought.

I was looking forward to the new one. I see that I am not alone.

Railphotog wrote:

These sets have been made by Mehano in Czechkoslovakia, the same firm that makes IHC locos.

Correction, Mehano is in Slovenia, which was once part of Yugoslavia.

http://www.mehano.si/?PID=21&PHPSESSID=t9lknpkqgbli92h8vp0glltjt5

I have a couple sets from Christmas presents past, from my grandparents in Toronto....we don't have Loblaws here. I haven't really found them anything to die for, but I still occasionally run the steamers found in the sets.

The cars were TERRIBLE, though!